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“I’m Going to Be a Rancher”

Here’s my husband’s great-grandfather. He was the firstborn son of The Original Pioneer Man and Woman, Fred and Addie, and was the first person in Marlboro Man’s family to become a cattle rancher.

Big Pa-Pa, as he came to be known to Marlboro Man and his brothers, was born in 1892 to newlyweds Fred and Addie. Wasn’t he a nice-looking tot?

As a child, Big Pa-Pa brimmed with mischief. When he was six, his exasperated mother (and my fellow Pioneer Woman), Addie, put ashes in his Christmas stocking to illustrate clearly that he needed to work on his behavioral skills. Though she was halfway teasing, once she saw the devastated look on his face, she vowed never to employ such a tactic again. Damn, Addie. Way to break out the discipline, woman!

Big Pa-Pa grew to be a fine young boy. Call me crazy, but I find him slightly dreamy in this photo. How ’bout you? (Men, feel free to answer. C’mon…be honest. Get in touch with your sensitive side.)

Big Pa-Pa attended school in an old stone schoolhouse, where he remembered his male teacher engaging in fist fights with one of the students. Heartwarming, eh? Big Pa-Pa was classmates with Kate, who later became—you guessed it!—his best girl. That’s him in the middle row, second from left; and that’s Kate, fourth from left, wearing the black tie around her neck. Wasn’t she a purty little thang?

Let’s have a closer look at the love connection that was surely forming by then. Just look! He’s so hot, she can’t even bear to look in his direction. What a sizzling stone schoolhouse that must have been. No thanks to their fellow students, though. Man, oh man.

Since his father was a merchant, Big Pa-Pa frequently helped load wagons and stock shelves in his store. One day, as he was loading crates for a customer, Big Pa-Pa noticed the beautiful countryside—the tall grass, big skies, and rolling hills. He went back inside the store, took off his apron and told his dad, "I’ve got to be outside the rest of my life. I’m going to be a rancher." His father was dubious, as Big Pa-Pa had no plan whatsoever.

To humor his father, Big Pa-Pa enrolled in college, only to pack his bags and return home less than a month later. When he arrived home and broke the news to his father, a tear came to his father’s eye. Fred said to his son, "I guess you’ll have to get your education the hard way."

First things first. He hooked up with his childhood sweetheart, Kate, and they were married in 1911. Immediately, he began his ranching business with about forty cows and 160 acres of leased land. Big Pa-Pa and Kate actually lived in a tent for three weeks before the owner of his leased land could move out of the house in which they were to live. And once they moved into the house, tent life suddenly didn’t seem all that bad. Hogs crawled under the house to scratch their backs. There was no fence around the house, so horses would rub against the corners of the house, causing it to shake so much that Kate feared it would crumble to the ground.

It didn’t cramp their lovelife, though, and they had their first baby less than a year after their wedding. Here’s Kate with her firstborn son and Marlboro Man’s grandfather, Pa-Pa. Aww, he looks just like all my babies. ‘Course, mine weren’t lulled to sleep by the sweet sound of hogs scratching their backs under my house, bless Kate’s heart.

Now, the Indian tribe in our area owned the entire county until 1906, when the tribe then allotted it to individual tribal members, who were then free to sell their parcels. The tribe, however, retained the mineral rights (oil ownership) to all the land. (Shrewd little boogers, weren’t they?) It was very good ranching country and since most of the Indian landowners had no interest in working the land themselves, this was a prime opportunity for one to purchase land and start ranching. Not being permitted to own the mineral rights of the land, however, proved to be a quality most successful ranchers did not like, so many of them moved to other areas where they would have complete control over—and receive full profit from—the land they bought. When they left, Big Pa-Pa would try to take over their leases and, whenever he could, buy up Indian land. Slowly but surely, Big Pa-Pa built himself a ranch. Ironically, he wasn’t able to purchase that first 160 acres he leased until 1976—almost 70 years after he first leased it. Talk about patience!

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Stay tuned for more gritty, riveting tales of ranching in the early 1900’s—when the men were men and the Pioneer Women were nervous.

A special thank you to Willowtree, the malcontented, frequently humorous, and spectacularly reclusive Australian bloke who encouraged me to delve into the history of my husband on this website. Thanks, W.T.

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http://openconversation.blogspot.com/ Robin

Beautiful man. Beautiful woman. Beautiful heritage and legacy.

I know you know this, but…DO YOU KNOW HOW FORTUNATE/BLESSED/LUCKY YOU ARE TO HAVE THIS INFORMATION AVAILABLE??? God bless MM’s ancestors who recorded this in picture and prose so that you could share it with your babies and their babies and so on. If I were (was?) the type to be envious of someone else…which I’m thankfully not…this is the stuff I’d envy. Forget your bazillion acres of rich farm land and smokin’ camera (lol), it’s this recorded history. I know so little about our family on both sides (we know more from my husband’s side), and the people who COULD tell me are no longer living😦.

I guess I need to find a way, or make up one heckofa tale to get things started. I bet I can pick up some authentic-looking pictures at the Cracker Barrel.

btw, looks like you might’ve found another name for Willowtree’s blog😉.

http://Anecdotes.typepad.com swampwitch

One just never knows what is going to be posted here from day to day. Today I feel like I’m in an Oklahoma history class. One that is up-close-and personal. So much more interesting than any history class I ever had in high school. You should have been a teacher, Ree. What a treasure to have this for your children.
Yesterday, was another story. I held my breath as your blog opened, hoping there would not be an audio clip of your daughters crying over the loss of their colt. Similar to the one you shared with us the day Gee left. Remember?
What a relief…and, a wonderful history lesson “to boot.”

dadia

Oh, my! Every day I come here 1st thing & wonder “what jewels has she left for us today?” & have yet to be even slightly disappointed! You ARE a great teacher, PW. I’m surely almost old enough to be your Grandmother, yet I learn some new from you almost daily!

Thank you & I appreciate you. I’ve noticed you are up early every a.m. to log in & type your daily entry for us. I also realize you & MM must have huge & almost ‘larger-than-life’ responsibilities & that it can’t always be an easy feat for you include this…yet you do & with so much style & flair. You & your blog are treasures, PW!

My thanks also to Swampwitch for getting this fabulous history lesson with a REAL live up-close-&-personal connection started!

Awesome family history sleuthing! You are inspriring me to check out the higher branches of my own family tree. Love the pics as well.

http://Anecdotes.typepad.com swampwitch

DADIA: I would love to take the credit for getting this fabulous history lesson with a REAL live up-close-& personal connection started, but I can’t. Your thanks goes to Willowtree. And please, in the future, try not to confuse me with a spectacularly, relusive Australian bloke who wears a pirate hat, big girl panties, and white knee-high socks. I’m the witch, Remember?🙂
The normal blogger. 🙂

http://hummingbunny.wordpress.com Brian

Sensitive this morning SW? I seem to recall that your avatar has big girl panties and a hat!

Anyway Ree, great post and history about your man’s history. It makes sense now why you fell for him.🙂 And Big Pa-Pa was very dreamy in that photo. Why he could even be writing poetry!

And he had very good taste with Kate as she clearly was the best looking and smartest one in the class.

How are your girls this morning? Are they doing better? (((hugs)))

cecedon

Oh I adore your family history. What an awesome story to share with us. I love learning how Big pa pa acquired all the land. Thanks for making time to share with us. I hope the girls are having a better day today.

http://thepioneerwoman.com Pioneer Woman

Robin, I know—I know nothing about my own family. I think I rose from the ground out of the dust. And don’t even think about being envious…tomorrow I’ll post photos of all the fence we have to fix.😉

Ree. I apologize for carrying-on a conversation at your place, but I seem to receive more comments here than at my own blog. BRIAN: Touche (I don’t know how to put that little mark above the e) When I wrote that, I wondered if anyone would call me on that and who would be the first. It certainly didn’t take long. (And, no more sensitive than usual.)

http://www.hickchic.blogspot.com Heidi

Ree, I can’t tell you how much I love this post! Yes, he was dreamy, definitely. And Kate was the prettiest girl in the class. I like your retelling of the story!

http://barkingquark.spaces.live.com/ Natalie

Yes, he is a very handsome man (and so is the guy standing to his left!) and she is a purty thang. Your telling of this story reminds me of the part in “The Horse Whisperer” where they show all of the old pictures on the mantel and it’s a walk through the history of the ranch. It was meant to show how it gets into your blood and becomes who you are… a legacy of hard work, love, and family.
Very cool that you have the opportunity to tell the stories of your family.🙂

Carrie

Ree, how you make me wish (once again) that I had recorded my grandmother before she died a few years ago at 94. She was still sharp as a tack and so full of history. Thankfully a lot of our family history is in books like MM’s. So cool you have access to all of that! I bet MM’s mom if full of stories. Not to sound like I have any Cherokee in me or anything, but that other local tribe was stingy. Lucky MM’s family dealt well with them. Seems to me Big Pa-Pa was the shrewd (and dreamy) one.

http://www.pepepippy.blogspot.com Darth Softball Slut Putas

Wow I love it when you tell us history stories. And the pictures. Sighh they are so awesome

http://www.thedustwillwait.blogspot.com Pamela

You’ve dotted your history with humor.
And I love it.

I may have to try that next time I write one of my “geneology” posts. The “Begats” have been sooooooooooooo boring.

For a change of pace I occasionally look at my google searches. Yesterday (drum roll) I had one come to my blog looking for “people doing birds calls by farting”

It’s all about growing up with four brothers, I think.

http://profile.typekey.com/mcmillioan/ zmom

Big Pa-Pa is a hottie! If it was 1905 (or whenever it was that picture was taken), I’d totally put it above my bed.

http://klraisldreamings.blogspot.com Karmyn R

wonderful story as always….

When my in-laws left Montana – they kept the mineral lights to their land. Let’s just say it has paid off well.

Gee

Infant Big PaPa and Infant Second Daughter…looks like the same baby!!
Ree, your Big PaPa (on mom’s side) and his dad were farmers…not ranchers….will try to find pictures and we’ll talk.
Your other Big PaPa (mom’s side) as you know, was a Methodist minister for 50 years. Some strong women on both sides too.

Isn’t it completely wonderful that MM’s family possess such a record? You and MM will be one of the best chapters in years to come! (“Well, from Pioneer Woman, back in ’06, we all learned to keep it real!”)

http://glenyalla.typepad.com/once_upon_a_blog/ Willowtree

Yeah, Big Pa-Pa was ok, but Kat, now she was a stunner, but then it’s not hard to look good when you’re standing between two real homely gals.

PS Thanks for the mention.

http://www.genrecookshop.com n.b.

Very interesting stuff! Great that you have so many identified photos. Me, I’ve got a shoebox stuffed full of old photos of mystery relatives.

http://www.ididntsayitwasyourfault.typepad.com marnie

Kate obviously knew that by not giving him the time of day she would be even more desireable to Big Pa Pa. Smart cookie!

http://momto3cubs.blogspot.com momto3cubs

Wow, love it! How lucky you are to have these photos and stories.

I think Big Pa-Pa’s about the cutest baby I’ve ever seen!

http://www.thedustwillwait.blogspot.com Pamela

Kate looks like Britney Spears

http://no-no-noo.blogspot.com/ Beth

Yep, I love these stories. I am so lucky to have diary of my great, great grandfather of when he came over from Norway and set up his homestead..plus another one of my relatives is a history buff, and has written a historical book about the town he grew up in…very interesting to me. Thanks again, Ree!

cindy h. from pawhuska

love your site and your ideas! What a blast! I’m going to title the photo “Youthful Dreamer”. Have fun! Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you and your family.